Kunsthaus (Art House), Graz (must see)

The Art House is one of Graz’s most unusual modern landmarks and a bold contrast to the city’s historic Old Town. Opened in 2003 as part of Graz’s year as the European Capital of Culture, the building appears almost like an alien spacecraft attached to the façade and cast-iron structure of the historic Iron House department store. Covered with nearly a thousand blue acrylic panels, its shimmering biomorphic form earned it the nickname “Friendly Alien.” Rising beside the Mur River, the futuristic structure deliberately stands apart from the surrounding Baroque rooftops while blending softly into the urban landscape.

Unlike traditional art museums, the Art House has no permanent collection of its own. Instead, as part of the Universalmuseum Joanneum, it hosts changing exhibitions and projects dedicated to contemporary art, design, architecture, photography, film, and multimedia installations, often drawing on works from the museum’s collections.

Given its eccentric exterior, why not start there? Walk along the nearby footbridge to admire the BIX Media Façade, an innovative outer skin embedded with 930 circular fluorescent lamps that turn the building into a massive digital screen.

The building’s interior is often just as fascinating as the exhibitions. Entry is via a long moving walkway, known as the “travelator,” which carries visitors through the structure and into the gallery spaces. To begin your journey, go through the main glass entrance doors into the ground-floor lobby and step onto this slow-moving diagonal belt to glide through an enclosed tube into the main exhibition hall. The interior is defined by vast, flowing forms and a dramatic exhibition deck enclosed beneath the building’s curved shell. The distinctive roof nozzles and light cones bring adjustable daylight into the galleries while framing views of the city.

Last but not least, you can also enter the “Needle,” a cantilevered glass viewing platform that projects from the structure and offers excellent views across Graz. The lookout is accessible by stairs or elevator to the top exhibition level. Walk onto the glass-walled catwalk to reach the viewing platform, where floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views of the red roofs of the Old Town and Castle Hill.